Anthurium plant named ‘Red Angel’

ABSTRACT

A distinct cultivar of Anthurium plant named ‘Red Angel’, characterized by its upright and somewhat outwardly spreading plant habit; dark green leaves; red-colored spathes with white and yellow bi-colored spadices that are positioned upright and beyond the foliage on strong and erect scapes; and good inflorescence longevity.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present inventin relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Anthurium plant, botanically known as Anthurium andreanum, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Red Angel’.

The new Anthurium is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Schipluiden, The Netherlands. The objective of the program is to create and develop new freely flowering Anthurium cultivars with strong roots, dark green leaves, attractive spathe color, and good inflorescence longevity.

The new Anthurium originated from a cross by the Inventor in 1996 of the Inventor's proprietary Anthurium andreanum selection code number 95-7 as the female, or seed, parent with the Inventor's proprietary Anthurium andreanum selection code number 93-22 as the male, or pollen, parent. The cultivar Red Angel was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a plant within the progeny of the stated cross in a controlled environment in Schipluiden, The Netherlands in May, 1998.

Asexual propagation of the new cultivar by tissue culture in a laboratory in Belgium has shown that the unique features of this new Anthurium plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual propagation.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The new Anthurium has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of the cultivar Red Angel. These characrtertistics in combination distinguish ‘Red Angel’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

1. Upright and somewhat outwardly spreading plant habit.

2. Durable dark green leaves.

3. Red-colored spathes with white and yellow bi-colored spadices that are positioned upright and beyond the foliage on strong and erect scapes.

4. Freely flowering habit.

5. Good inflorescence longevity.

The new Anthurium can be compared to the female parent, the selection 95-7. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Schipluiden, The Netherlands, plants of the new Anthurium differ from plants of the selection 95-7 in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Anthurium have thicker and more rounded leaves than plants of the selection 95-7.

2. Plants of the new Anthurium have thicker spathes than plants of the selection 95-7.

3. Spathe color of plants of the new Anthurium is more red than spathe color of plants of the selection 95-7.

The new Anthurium can be compared to the male parent, the selection 93-22. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Schipluiden, The Netherlands, plants of the new Anthurium differ from plants of the selection 93-22in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Anthurium have thicker and more rounded leaves than plants of the selection 93-22.

2. Spathe color of plants of the new Anthurium is more red than spathe color of plants of the selection 93-22.

The new Anthurium can also be compared to the cultivar Red Queen, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,813. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Schipluiden, The Netherlands, plants of the new Anthurium differ from plants of the cultivar Red Queen in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Anthurium have thicker and more durable leaves than plants of the cultivar Red Queen.

2. Spathe color of plants of the new Anthurium is lighter red than spathe color of plants of the cultivar Red Queen.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Anthurium, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Anthurium.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical potted plant of the cultivar Red Angel that was about three years old.

The photograph at the top of the second sheet comprises a close-up view of a typical inflorescence of ‘Red Angel’.

The photograph at the bottom of the second sheet comprises a close-up view of a typical leaf of ‘Red Angel’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The following observations and measurements describe 3-year old plants grown in 19-cm containers in Schipluiden, The Netherlands, in a glass greenhouse with an average day temperature of 25° C. and an average night temperature of 19° C.

Botanical classification: Anthurium andreanum cultivar Red Angel.

Parentage:

Female parent.—Inventor's proprietary Anthurium andreanum selection code number 95-7, not patented.

Male parent.—Inventor's proprietary Anthurium andreanum selection code number 93-22, not patented.

Propagation:

Method.—By tissue culture.

Time to develop roots on a tissue-cultured cutting.—About 70 or 84 days at 24° C. or 21° C., respectively.

Root description.—Strong fleshy roots.

Plant description:

Plant shape.—Upright and somewhat outwardly spreading, inverted triangle, symmetrical.

Growth habit.—Freely clumping, bushy and dense. Appropriate for 19 to 40-cm containers. Vigorous.

Plant height.—About 90 to 110 cm.

Crop time.—About 9 months are usually required from planting of young plants to finished plants in a 19-cm container.

Foliage description.—Quantity per plant: About 80. Length: About 15 to 40 cm. Width: About 10 to 22 cm. Shape: Cordate. Apex: Cuspidate. Base: Auriculate; lobes not overlapping. Margin: Entire. Texture: Smooth, glabrous, leathery. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Color: Young leaves, upper surface: 147A. Young leaves, lower surface: 144A to 146C. Mature leaves, upper surface: 147A; venation, 146A. Mature leaves, lower surface: Darker than 144A; venation, 144C. Petiole: Length: About 25 to 50 cm. Color: 144A. Geniculum length: About 2 to 3 cm. Geniculum color: 144A.

Inflorescence description:

Inflorescence arrangement.—Spathes with spadices held beyond the foliage. Flowering structures arise from leaf axils. Freely and recurrent flowering year-round; typically more than 30 inflorescences per plant.

Inflorescence longevity.—Inflorescences last about six weeks under winter conditions and about three months under summer conditions; persistent.

Spathe.—Length: About 14 to 25 cm. Width: About 11 to 19 cm. Shape: Cordate. Apex: Apiculate to mucronulate. Base: Auriculate; lobes not overlapping. Margin: Entire. Texture: Leathery, glabrous, slight blistering. Color: When opening: 53B; glossy. Opened, front surface: 45A to 45B; glossy. Opened, back surface: 51A.

Spadix.—Length: About 6 to 11 cm. Diameter: About 1 cm. Shape: Columnar. Cross section: Rounded. Longitudinal axis: Erect. Color: Immature: 144A to 144B. Mature: Towards apex: 15C. Towards base: 158A.

Flowers.—Quantity per spadix: Numerous, about 200. Shape: Rounded. Diameter: About 1 mm, maximum.

Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Pollen color: 159D. Gynoecium: Stigma shape: Ovoid.

Scape.—Length: About 42 to 85 cm. Aspect: Strong and erect. Color: 144A.

Seed.—Seed development on plants of the new Anthurium has not been observed.

Disease/pest resistance: Under commercial conditions, plants of the new Anthurium have not been observed to be resistant to pathogens or pests common to Anthurium. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Anthurium plant named ‘Red Angel’, as illustrated and described. 